Because Shrek Academy drew Star Luo Empire's seeded team in the third round, their opponent was none other than the Star Luo Imperial Advanced Spirit Master Academy team.
As a seeded team representing one of the two great empires, their strength was naturally formidable—certainly no weaker than the current reformed Godwind Academy. The first match of the third round would be Shrek Academy vs. the Star Luo Imperial team, and it was bound to be a fierce clash.
Still, there was another match that drew even more attention: the Spirit Hall Advanced Spirit Master Academy team vs. the Heaven Dou Imperial Advanced Spirit Master Academy team.
The clash between two seeded powerhouses seemed to underscore the fairness of the finals in its own way.
There were still over thirty minutes before the match officially began. The ten teams who had advanced to the third round were already present in the stadium, warming up and preparing for battle.
Ever since Flender informed them of their opponent, the mood among Shrek Academy's members had shifted. They quickly noticed Dai Mubai's strange behavior—he had become unusually silent and somber. Zhu Zhuqing, in contrast, remained as calm and cool as ever, her eyes occasionally drifting toward the Star Luo Academy's team.
"Boss Dai, what's wrong?" Ma Hongjun asked in confusion. Dai Mubai was normally bold and flamboyant—his current demeanor was completely out of character.
Suddenly, Dai Mubai stood and bowed solemnly to everyone.
"Mubai, what are you doing?" Flender frowned.
Dai Mubai glanced briefly at Zhu Zhuqing, who stood beside Lin Jie, then clenched his teeth and said, "I must win this match. If I lose… I'll have no second chance."
"What do you mean?" Oscar asked, puzzled. "Are they your enemies or something?"
Zhu Zhuqing spoke softly, "Dai Mubai and I both come from noble families within the Star Luo Empire. These two families have a rather… peculiar tradition. To select their heirs, they pit family members against each other. Only the strongest earns the right to inherit. Dai Mubai and I are both participants in this… competition. There are others from our family in the Star Luo Academy team as well. It's not just rivalry—it's a deadly game."
Dai Mubai nodded grimly. "That's right. The losing heirs face a cruel end. To avoid internal strife, the family sends high-ranking experts to eliminate the loser. On their side is my elder brother and Zhu Zhuqing's older sister. My brother is six years older than me—stronger, smarter, and all but guaranteed to be the heir. I was just a backup. I had a second brother, once… but he died when we were children. There's no need to explain how. I fled to the Heaven Dou Empire back then—just to survive. I didn't want to share my second brother's fate. I've spent all this time training, hoping for a chance to defeat them one day."
Zhu Zhuqing showed no strong reaction to his words. She no longer cared about Dai Mubai's reasons for running away to save himself. In truth, she didn't care much about Dai Mubai or her family anymore. She had confidence in her current strength—and in Lin Jie's support. She believed they could defeat the Star Luo team. Afterward, she planned to follow Lin Jie—wherever he went. As for Dai Mubai, she had long since lost any feelings for him. The affairs of their family no longer mattered to her.
Dai Mubai's eyes reddened as he said, his voice hoarse with emotion, "That's why I can't lose. I must win. Please… help me."
Lin Jie looked at Zhu Zhuqing, then spoke calmly, "Don't worry. We're winning this match."
"Yeah, Boss Dai. We've got this," Tang San added.
"That's right. We won't lose." The others echoed in unison.
This was Shrek Academy's first match since the finals had begun. When several of the Heaven Dou academies saw two unfamiliar faces on their lineup, their expressions shifted slightly.
Huo Wu, Huo Wushuang, and Feng Xiaotian also noticed the lineup and were surprised. They recognized Lin Jie, Dai Mubai, Tang San, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ma Hongjun—they'd all fought before. But Oscar and Ning Rongrong hadn't taken the stage until now.
Huo Wu remembered Ning Rongrong was a disciple of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, but wasn't sure how powerful she really was.
They also remembered that Shrek had another team member—Xiao Wu, a Spirit Ancestor. And yet she wasn't on the field, replaced by this unfamiliar Oscar. Could it be that Oscar was stronger than Xiao Wu? Or was he their secret weapon?
On that point, they were mistaken. Xiao Wu wasn't competing because, for her own safety, it was best she not appear in public right now.
The seven members of Shrek stood in formation as they stepped onto the stage, their gazes calm but firm.
Dai Mubai's eyes had never once left the opposite side of the arena.
When the seven members of the Star Luo Imperial Academy slowly walked onstage, Dai Mubai's gaze turned sharp, twin flames seemingly igniting in his eyes.
At the center of the enemy team stood a tall man with flowing golden hair, violet light glinting in his eyes. His features resembled Dai Mubai's—at least seventy percent similar—but he was clearly taller and more imposing. As he ascended the stage, a calm smile played across his face—confident, almost regal. Lin Jie instantly recognized him.
Dai Weisi. Dai Mubai's older brother.
Next to Dai Weisi stood a woman with a tall, curvaceous figure that rivaled Zhu Zhuqing's. Her tight-fitting black-and-gold outfit accentuated every curve, and her snow-white skin and sultry beauty exuded a mature allure. Most striking of all—her face bore an uncanny resemblance to Zhu Zhuqing.
Zhu Zhuyun, Zhu Zhuqing's older sister.
Seeing Zhu Zhuyun reminded Lin Jie of Zhu Zhuqing, stirring a strange thought in his mind.
Zhu Zhuyun was holding Dai Weisi' arm, smiling softly. Her expression was calm and captivating, easy to like at first glance.
The two teams stood face to face. Dai Weisi stood opposite Dai Mubai, Zhu Zhuyun opposite Lin Jie—and Zhu Zhuqing beside him.
As Zhu Zhuqing saw her sister step into position across from them, a flicker of emotion crossed her cold expression. After all, they were family. Had it not been for the family cruel rules, perhaps they could have been close sisters.
Dai Weisi's gaze swept across Dai Mubai before his smile slowly faded. He said calmly, "Mubai, I didn't think you'd actually make it to the finals. To have the chance to challenge me directly is already quite the achievement. But you didn't need to go this far. You should know—by doing this, you're just giving me more reasons to crush you."
Dai Mubai growled, "Spare me the hypocrisy,Weisi. Haven't you already done enough? On this stage, you're not just my opponent—you're my enemy. If I defeat you, I'll become the heir. Not you."
Dai Weisi looked at him, surprised. "So the little playboy has grown a spine. Good. I'd like to see what you've learned after two years of running away. But—" He turned toward Zhu Zhuqing, who stood calmly beside Lin Jie, and sneered, "I am curious, though. Why isn't Zhuqing standing with you? Don't tell me you two still haven't made up? Then again, you did abandon her once. No surprise she'd rather stay with someone else."
Dai Mubai's fists clenched, rage burning in his chest. That wound had never healed—and now Dai Weisi had twisted the knife in public. Still, this was not the time to lose control. He forced himself to remain calm, glaring daggers at his brother.
Zhu Zhuyun giggled, covering her mouth with delicate fingers. Her laughter was bewitching as she looked toward Zhu Zhuqing. In a syrupy tone, she said, "Zhuqing, you're not even fifteen yet, are you? It's amazing you've made it this far. I wonder if it's talent… or just luck. Either way, this is as far as you go. Still, Mom and Dad have really missed you these past two years. Once this is over, you should come home with me."
"Miss me? Zhu Zhuyun, are you joking?" Zhu Zhuqing's cold eyes narrowed. "That family… knows nothing of love. You can tell them this yourself—I will defeat you today. And as for that heartless family, they can go to hell for all I care."
Zhu Zhuyun covered her mouth again, as if amused. "My, my… defeat me? Zhuqing, I didn't know you'd learned to tell jokes. Weren't you only in the twenties when you left home? What are you now—Level 30? Mid-thirties, perhaps? And you think you can beat me?"
"You'll see for yourself soon enough," Zhu Zhuqing said coldly.